Whale put down after being found with 30 plastic bags in its stomach

Warning: this article contains graphic images
'Considerable pain': The distressed whale was discovered off the coast of Norway
University of Bergen
Patrick Grafton-Green3 February 2017

A sick whale had to be put down after 30 plastic bags were discovered inside its stomach.

The 20ft Cuvier's beaked whale, which was found at the weekend off the Norway coast, was so sick it had to be shot.

The whale repeatedly got stuck in shallow waters off the island of Sotra, west of Bergen, despite attempts to help it get back out to sea, local media said.

Vets from the University of Bergen said the bags would have blocked its digestive system, causing the animal considerable pain.

Candy wrappers and plastic bread bags were also found in the whale's stomach.

The whale had to be shot after the plastic was found in its stomach
University of Bergen

It is believed it may have mistaken the plastic bags for squid.

Zoologist Terje Lislevand said the whale was in a lot of pain for a long time and its digestive system was completely depleted of nutrients.

He told Sky News: "It wasn't like it was in just part of the stomach. It filled up the whole space.

"I think the whale has been in pain. I don't think it's been comfortable to have this in the stomach.”

Last year the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and the World Economic Forum predicted there will be more plastic, measured in weight, than fish in the sea by 2050.

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